


i spy

by evaneddie



Series: dhylen writes one shots [18]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M, just a heart to heart with nothing really explicitly happening, this isn't tumblr so idk how to tag shit here, um
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 19:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21041225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaneddie/pseuds/evaneddie
Summary: eddie and buck talk about the tsunami i spy





	i spy

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from anonymous on tumblr:
> 
> If you’re still taking prompts, Eddie finding out buck played I spy with Christopher during the tsunami to distract him from everything going on. Really love your writing 💙
> 
> thank you for the prompt, i hope you enjoy!!!

Buck hadn't told Eddie in detail about the events of what happened during the tsunami, and for good reason. Mainly he just didn't want to put any more stress on the man than he already had been lately, and he'd almost just lost his son in walls of water. On top of it, said son had been experiencing pretty bad nightmares since aforementioned events. Which doesn't really surprise Buck to be honest, as he'd been experiencing similar things. Flashbacks, in which he couldn't save everyone, couldn't save Christopher. He almost didn't. Hell, he thought he didn't. He thought he lost the boy for good after he fell off the ladder truck and into the rough rapids. Only, he can't really call his nightmares when they plague every waking moment too. Every day he has to remind himself that Christopher is safe, that Buck himself is safe too, not as though he really cared about that at the time. Not so much now, either.

Now, somehow, Eddie knows the details of what Buck and Chris went through that day. He assumes the kid had sat down and told his father about it all. But that wouldn't male much sense, would it? How would Christopher have known why they had moved positions in the middle of their game? He couldn't. It is possible that he thinks Buck moved him so he could get a better view of the item he was doing the spying on. But other than that, he wouldn't a clue. Eddie could have figured it out though. That's plausable. But with Chris having nightmares, talking to his dad about it probably wasn't something he would have done. He may be young, but he's wiser and smarter beyond his years. There's no way he would have willingly told Eddie what happened, he knows it would upset him too much.

Which brings him back to his original question; how does Eddie know?

Buck gnaws lightly at his bottom lip as he watches Eddie take a swig from the beer bottle on the coffee table. Moments like these are ones he's missed a lot since he doesn't get to see his friend as much anymore. After a long shift, it was always nice to grab a bite to eat at a nearby cafe or diner, or even just have a few drinks to wind down before heading home to hit the sack. Hit the sack. What an odd expression. Hit the head, hit the hay. All so strange. 

Buck snaps himself from his travelling mind before it goes to far. That happens quite often, and he's not sure why, but it can get damn frustrating. All he wants to do is to be able to at least once focus on a conversation without getting sidetracked by his own train of thought - bullet train of thought. 

"Thank you," Eddie whispers again, staring into Buck's eyes. They stare him down, so deeply, making his stomach churn as if that's how far that could see in. Of course, that's dumb, and he knows it, but that doesn't halt the feeling in its tracks, whatever the feeling is.

"How did you find out?" questions Buck. Right now, that's all he can manage to speak. So speak it he does.

Eddie takes another sip of his beer, emptying the glass bottle of the golden liquor. It clacks lightly as he places it back on the coaster, and Eddie sighs before speaking again. "I've been taking Chris to therapy, which is how I found out about the games of I-spy you two played."

Buck listens intently, nodding slightly at the words, but doesn't speak yet himself.

"When he was asked about seeing anything bad, he said no. He hadn't seen a single body, Buck. Which, unless you where making him look away while distracted, wouldn't have been even a mild possiblity, because victims where everywhere. So I put two and two together. You are amazing, thank you." Eddie is still looking into Buck's eyes, trying to connect with him emotionally through the conversation.

Usually the intensity of someone staring at him like this would make him uneasy and put him a bit on edge, but he feels nothing of the sort. Sure, his stomach feels weird, but he puts that down to being uncomfortable with praise and gratitude towards him. It makes his face heat up slightly, and he wills himself silently to calm down. Eddie doesn't go around just saying this crap to anybody, and he doesn't lie, so there's no reason not to believe there's some truth to his words. Or at least, believing that Eddie believes it. That's got less of a chance to upset his stomach.

"I love him, of course I couldn't let him see that," his broken voice replies barely audibly.

Before he knows it, Eddie is pulling Buck into his arms, and holding him tight. They've done this before, numerous times, but this one feels different. Eddie feels broader across the shoulders since the last hug they shared. Buck isn't sure if it's because he himself isn't getting a full day workout from being a firefighter anymore, of if Eddie had been putting on more muscle. Either way, it feels nice, and for the first time in who knows how long, Buck feels safe. He feels, content, and at home. Like he's protected from any more bad thoughts.

Burying his face into the crook of Eddie's neck where it meets his collarbone and shoulder, Buck inhales deeply before winding his hands around Eddie's form to splay them across his back. 

"Thank you," Buck says, the sound muffled by Eddie's body. "Thank you for believing in me, and helping me. I appreciate it more than you know."

"You are more than welcome, Evs."

Never has Eddie called him anything other than Buck. Not even his first name, and now he's shortening that? Maddie doesn't even call him Ev or Evs. 

A soft feather-like touch ghosts across his cheek, and it takes a moment to realise that it's Eddie's lips. Friends don't do that. Do they?

What the hell is happening?

But they both release their hold on one another before anything is said about it, and Buck almost whines at the loss of warmth, but stops himself. Eddie is just his friend. That's it. That's all they are, and all they ever will be. Besides, it's not like Buck wants more anyway. He doesn't like Eddie like that.


End file.
